The State Museum of the Defence of Moscow was founded on December 25, 1979. It is located in the immediate vicinity of the site of the former villages Troparevo-Nikulino where in October-November 1941 there was a defensive line of the Moscow volunteer division.

In 1981, in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the Moscow battle, the Museum started functioning as a permanent exhibition. In 1989 the Museum was closed for reconstruction.

Renewed exhibition was opened on April 27, 1995, on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. The authors of the concept are L.F. Kasakova and N.D. Egorov, the designer is P.A. Kot, the architect of the foyer project is W. Kubasov.

The museum aims to illustrate the Moscow battle as a greatly intense historic event through the perception of its participants and victims, their lives and heroic deeds.

The Museum embraces different wartime periods and subjects, including first months of the war in 1941, fighting against enemy aviation, life near front line, counter-offensive, roads to victory. The Museum acquires thematically related exhibits which are mostly genuine evidence of the Moscow battle.

Being a venue for commemorative events, the Museum also focuses on the scientific study of the Great Patriotic war of 1941-1945, lectures and thematic guided tours